The reality is that you only need a blender, oats, water, vanilla extract, and dates if you want a little sweetness. This oat milk is easy, extremely economical, and eco-conscious. You don’t have to waste a tetrapak or plastic bottle to enjoy oat milk at home! On top of all of those great benefits of oat milk, there are more important environmental aspects.
Many people love almond milk and you may use this as your regular milk. However, did you know that it takes about 15 gallons of water to produce 16 almonds, as cited by an article in the New York Times? THIS IS A LOT OF WATER! And then to make the “milk” there is MORE WATER added to the blended nuts (plus most brands have additives and stabilizers – yuck). This is a huge environmental burden.
A vast majority of almonds are grown in California, which is drought-ridden. There isn’t enough water, so the almond growers drill deep into aquifers to get the water they need for the increasing demand of almonds. If you want to read more about the environmental impact almonds have, click here.
Oats, conversely, are a very friendly plant to grow, as they help restore the soil and do not require much water. Oats kept in crop rotation with other common crops like corn and soybeans help the soil remain healthy and increases yields of the other crops. Almonds cannot do this because they grow on trees!